Posts Tagged ‘humility’

It’s easy to forget our role in this whole thing, isn’t it? Before long we have blurred the lines so much, we start to forget who’s in charge, and what our role really is. But, like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says, “KNOW YOUR ROLE!” We’ve got to take the time to get very familiar with OUR role.

It’s not bad to stop and, as Ice Cube says, “Check yo’self before you wreck yo’self!” (Man, I’m full of the witty one liners today! Haha)

Ask yourself, “Am I in the right position here? Or am I trying to take center stage? Am I trying to take control of an issue that is “above my pay grade”? Am I playing God?”

If the answer is yes, don’t beat yourself up! Just do an about face, and give center stage back to Him. Life really does go so much more smoothly when we know our role, and stay in it.

Have a great Tuesday, friends!

You ARE blessed,

Sarah

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Steal My Show
By Toby Mac

So I’ll step out the way, I’ll give you center stage.
–TobyMac

Everyone knew who John the Baptist was. Crowds poured into the countryside to hear him speak. He was influential, and controversial. He was God’s chosen vessel.

John’s purpose was to call the people of God to repentance. His mission was to prepare their hearts for the arrival of their Messiah. It was arguably the most important job ever given to one man. Jesus himself said of John that among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist. That’s a strong endorsement.

Today, we see all around us how power and influence can corrupt; in business and politics, even in religion. The truth is, we don’t have to look any further than our own hearts to see how we can be tempted. Give us any little advantage and often our first instinct is to use it for our own gain. It was no different in John the Baptist’s day. Those who had power were tempted and frequently corrupted by it.

But John stands in stark contrast, and the thing that sets him apart is his humility. For all his power and influence, John never started believing it was about him. In the third chapter of John, John the Baptist’s own disciples came to him, seeming worried. They had just discovered that the crowds that once followed John, were now following Jesus instead. They were probably jealous for their Rabbi’s reputation. But John, in utter humility, replies The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.

From the moment Jesus began his public ministry, John willingly embraced the truth that his own moment in the spotlight was over. He had merely been a faithful servant, a friend of the bridegroom. It wasn’t his show. It never had been. John was just the warmup act. Christ was the headliner. And rather than clinging to the remnants of whatever position and influence he might have kept for himself, John released it all and stepped aside, that the glory of Christ might be revealed.

It’s not too late to start again. You get to choose the road you take, and you get to choose how long you stay on that path. If you’re finding yourself on the wrong path today, I encourage you to STOP, change direction, and start journeying down the right path. In reading The Word, you will find much encouragement and direction for your journey. You’re not in this alone. There are brighter days ahead!

Take a minute or two and read Psalm 103, I think you will find it very helpful. 🙂

My prayers are with you on this journey to growth!

You are blessed,

Sarah

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Today’s devo selection:

A NEW ROUTE
By: Joel Osteen

I know people who feel like they’ve wasted years of their lives because of poor choices. They spent years in a relationship that was toxic, years with an addiction, years at a job where they weren’t fulfilled. But you have to realize, nothing you have been through is ever wasted. Your past experiences, good and bad have deposited something on the inside of you. Those challenges have sharpened you to help make you who you are today.

When the enemy brings hardship into your life, God has a way of taking that experience and turning it around for your advantage. You may think you’ve hit a dead end, but if you’ll stay in faith, you will see God begin to open up a new route. He’ll put the right people in your path, the right opportunities, the right circumstances to move you forward toward your God-given destiny.

Today, don’t focus on what’s happened in your past, focus on what God will do in your future. He wants to restore your soul and revive your dreams. Keep believing, keep expecting, keep hoping because God has a new route for your future!

Prayer:
Father God, I come humbly before You today. I give You my past, present and future knowing that You will redeem my life. I release those who have hurt me, I choose forgiveness so I can be free to move forward in the new route You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Scripture:
He forgives your sins—every one. He heals your diseases—every one. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence. (Psalm 103:3-5 MSG)

Sometimes there aren’t words adequate enough to describe the disappointment of being lied to. When one close to you continues the tradition of inflating the truth, and/or just flat out lying to your face, it hurts and gets old. Can I get an amen?

Sometimes I want to scream, “Am I not worth the truth? Is the truth too boring?! What is it?!” Other times I want to cry and quietly say, “Don’t you know by now that it’s the real you that I love? The you that hurts, fears, loves, laughs, cries, fails, succeeds…not the fake version of you that you almost always choose to show.”

I get so weary of hearing things that are opposite of the way it was told the time before. It’s a slap in the face, a stab to the heart. I’ve only seen the person come out from behind the mask here and there. And when I do, I feel overwhelming sadness, knowing that the genuineness won’t last for long. But also sad because, the only one being fooled is the friend. I can see through the lies into the truth, whether it’s revealed or not. And I think that’s the worst part. Seeing the agony in one’s eyes while the mouth drips honey.

I think Jesus feels the same way about us.

We try to put on a show for him. We attempt to hide our ugly truth in a soup with prettier ingredients, when all He really wants is us. No matter how ugly we are at the time, He wants us to come to Him. Genuine. Honest. Real. Vulnerable. When we come to him in humility, He can then properly mold us into who we are destined to be.

A few scriptures to chew on today:

Zechariah 8:16-17 And now here’s what I want you to do: Tell the truth, the whole truth, when you speak. Do the right thing by one another, both personally and in your courts. Don’t cook up plans to take unfair advantage of others. Don’t do or say what isn’t so. I hate all that stuff. Keep your lives simple and honest.” Decree of God.

Ephesians 4:25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

Be blessed, friends, as we continue on this journey of spiritual growth together. My love and prayers are with you all today. No matter what you have to face in your life, know that you’re never alone. Look up! He loves you, and yearns for you to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Happy Monday, friends! Be blessed today as you make the purposeful decision to show love to those who may not share in the same sin as you.

-Sarah
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Today’s devo selection:

Be Careful of Who You Judge
By Calvary Chapel Boise/Bob Caldwell

Today’s Reading: Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43

Key Verse: “The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.” –Matthew 13:38-40

It is critical for each of us to understand how the Kingdom of God operates in this age of rebellion against God. It is common for believers to try to separate themselves from the “world” in a way that at times can be counter-productive. In this parable of the sower, there is a reference to tares. They look similar to wheat and, in this parable, are growing among the wheat the sower planted. The wheat represents the people who belong to the Kingdom of God and the tares represent those who belong to the Kingdom of Darkness. Jesus warns us not to try to separate the tares, lest the wheat be uprooted as well.

Yet often well-meaning believers do just the opposite. We sometimes try to use our limited ability to judge the true nature of a person and then try to “weed them out” of the Kingdom of God. “Who are the wheat? Who are the tares?” become the questions we want answered. Yet if we pursue this process we often see genuine believers uprooted and deeply hurt. Conversely, we may honor some people who may in fact be “tares.” Humility requires us to defer to Christ as the only true judge. Of course, this doesn’t mean we compromise truth. Obviously some people by their own words and deeds make their status as “wheat” or “tares” very obvious. But often a person’s heart condition—in relationship to truth—may not be as easy to determine as we think.

By God’s grace, His “wheat seeds” are sown throughout the world to bring revelation of the knowledge of Him. As this occurs, Satan will inevitably sow among us “tares.” These are people who try to appear to be believers but in fact are not. Over time it’s impossible for many of these counterfeit believers to hide who they really are. But we must let this process play out without our interference for two very important reasons. First, if we deal graciously with all people, some of these counterfeit Christians will become sincere followers of Christ. Authentic believers who live a genuinely Spirit-filled life of faith may influence them. The contrast between the life of the Spirit and the life of the flesh can often cause hypocrites to repent of their life of self-deception. Secondly, this careful approach protects new believers who are babes in Christ. In certain areas of life, these immature believers may appear to be nonbelievers. If we judge them as “tares,” they can become overwhelmed with discouragement. They may conclude that their baby steps are not enough for them to belong to the family of God.

Therefore, let us not pretend to be God. We’re not Him! Only God knows the true heart condition of each of us. God will in His own time separate the wheat and the tares, at the Second Coming of Christ.

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I'm on a never ending journey of spiritual growth. I'm a bit (a lot) sarcastic, with a dry sense of humor. I enjoy raw, real conversations. The truth of who we are is so much better than the charade!
I'm a wife and mom, and I love it! My life is busy, fulfilling, and challenging. It's been about ups and downs, twists and turns, stagnation and growth. Today, I choose growth above bathing in the chaos of stagnation.
Most importantly, I'm forever in love with my Savior, and want to encourage you to grow in Him. Knowing that He adores you, and has a great plan for your life. You're never alone, there's no pit deep enough that the touch of Grace can't reach down and pull you out.
I look forward to hearing from you!

Trust me, I've been there, I've looked, I've searched and I know now, that there are no answers to be found in the bottom of a bottle or on the edge of a blade! Fighting Hard, Recovering, Rebuilding, REBORN. Moving on from addiction to a new life.

Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”